Albert Zapanta: Answering the Call to Serve

Long before he became a decorated general, a presidential appointee and a business leader shaping U.S.-Mexico relations, Maj. Gen. Albert Zapanta was a young man from East Los Angeles who made a defining choice.

“In the Vietnam War era, in a time when people were draft-dodging, Al went willingly — he volunteered,” recalls friend Frank H. Cruz, Telemundo founder and member of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism Board of Councilors.

That decision would set the tone for a lifetime of service.

In Vietnam, Zapanta distinguished himself with extraordinary bravery — earning the Silver Star, five Bronze Stars for Valor and a Purple Heart. In a moment that still defines his legacy, he repeatedly ran into enemy fire to rescue wounded soldiers. “He picked up each one, one by one, carried them back — all the time under fire,” says his sister, Diana Zapanta Elder. “He doesn’t quit. He fights on.”

That same resolve carried Zapanta far beyond the battlefield. Rising to the rank of major general, he would go on to lead complex international missions, including serving as chief of staff for a United Nations peacekeeping effort, where troops from global powers operated under his command. Later, he was appointed chairman of the Reserve Forces Policy Board by the U.S. secretary of defense.

But Zapanta’s impact extends just as deeply into public service and business. He held numerous presidential appointments, serving as a White House Fellow, special assistant at the U.S. Department of Transportation and Senate-confirmed assistant secretary of the interior.

Today, Zapanta leads as president and CEO of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, guiding an organization with offices across both nations. He is also chairman of Planning Inc., a firm supporting federal government operations for more than 40 years.

“He has had success in the private sector, in the government sector,” Cruz says. “He’s a true leader.”

Through it all, Zapanta has never lost sight of where he started — or who he represents.

“He was born and raised in East L.A., and he’s never forgotten his Mexican American heritage,” Cruz says.

That connection shaped one of his most lasting contributions to USC. As a student, Zapanta recognized the need for greater representation and community on campus. In 1973, he helped found what is now the USC Latino Alumni Association — the first organization of its kind in the country and a model for universities nationwide.

“While studying here at USC, he saw a need,” says Ray López-Chang MUP ’21, executive director of the USC Latino Alumni Association.

That initiative created a lasting pipeline of mentorship, advocacy and community for generations of Trojans.

“He has left a tremendous impact on this university,” López-Chang says.

Those closest to Zapanta say that what has defined his career — spanning military service, government leadership and international business, and USC engagement — is his unwavering belief in purpose.

“He has a belief in himself and his mission,” his sister says. “And as long as you have that, there are no limits to what you can achieve.”